Dental device.



R. w. U PP. DENTAL DEVICE.

APPLICATION HLED JAN-29 T916.

Patented Ap1n25, 1916;.

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DENTAL DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN/29.1916.

Patented-Apr. 25, 1916.

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R. w. UPP, DENT'AL DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 1916.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916'.

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i ii" i LitUSCGE "W. Ul'rli, CHICAGO, ILLXNOIS. ASSIGNOB, OF ONE-HALF T CHARLES T.

JACOBS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

DENTAL Specification of Letters Patent.

DEVICE.

Patented Apr. 25, i916.

Application filed January 29, 1916. Serial No. 75,058.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Rosoon /V. Urr, a eitizen of the United States, residing at Chicage, in the county of Cool: and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use lul. Improvements in Dental Devices, oit' which the following is a description.

In the proper fitting of artificial teeth to the mouth of the user, it is customary, after setting the teeth in wax, to grind them down so that they will match the upper and lower-thus making provision for the proper matching of the teeth in both what is called the protrusive bite, or an endwise movement of the upper and lower teeth, and also the proper matching of the two sets in what might be termed the lateral bite, or a partial transverse movement of one set upon the other during the masticating operation. This is to secure what is termed in the art, a balancing effect. This grinding down process, as heretofore practised, has been aceom 'ilished by placing the teeth in was, and thence in an articulator of well known form, after which the operator placing vaseline, oil and emery dust between the meeting faces of the teeth of the two sets, proceeds with a grinding movement accomplished by hand,'tl1e two sets being held in the relative position that they would occupy in the mouth of the user by the articulator. Thus, as the meeting parts of the teeth are ground down, to match one with the other, and to balance, closely approaching the offeet of the natural teeth in the mouth.

The object of my invention to secure a proper endwise, as well lateral movement oi the teeth while thus held. in an articulator, and for the purpose stated, in a simple and effective manner, thus disposing with hand operation for this purpose and greatly reducing the cost of construction.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein. shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

lln the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation of one simple form of my invention, substantially on line 11 of Fig. 2. showing a part of an articulator of well known -form as con-- nected to my improved device; Fig. 2 is substantially a plan view of the same; 3 is also a plan view, showing the parts in position, and the position of the articulator as one set of teeth is moved transversely to the other for the purpose stated; Fig. 4c'is av rear view of the articulator, taken substantially on line l-% of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a partial section taken substantially on line 5-5 of F at; Fig. 6 is a partial sectional view of the rear part of an artieulator, showing one simple way in which connection is nuide therewith to secure the operation described; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view also showing simple adjustable means by which connection can be made with the rear part of the articulator; Fig. 8 is a plan view showing means for so grinding a plurality of sets of teeth at the same time.

is shown in the drawings, referring particularly to Fig. l, 1 and 2 represent the upper and lower parts of a suitablearticulator, the two parts being connected in any well known or usual manner for resiliently maintaining the parts in proper relative position one to the other. 3 represents the "21X for holding the teeth, and '-Il represents the teeth so positioned. As I claim nothin new in the articulator, it is not deemed necessay to go into the details of construction of such devices, as they are well known in the art. These devices are arranged to secure the proper relative movement of the two parts 1 and 2, both in a protrusive or backward and forward movement, and in a lateral movement, as before stated. 5 is a suitable base carrying upon it suitable standards 66. s

The articulator is supported in the standards 6, the ends of the transverse part 7 being seated in suitable bearings formed in the standard 6 for that purpose. In the form shown a strap or suitable part 8 clearly shown in Figs. 1-; 2 and 4, extends from one standard to the other, and connects the topsof the two together. A resilient member or spring 9 extends from the real? wardly extending part 10 up to. and is connected to the connecting strap 8, normally tending to resiliently hold the part 2 down in forward contact with the part 1, as shown. The connecting part 11 (Figs. 2, 4 and 6) extends from one downwardly projecting extension 12 to the other, said eX- I tension being connected with the lower part i of the articulator, and a spring 13 extending from the center thereof is carried back and attached to the base 5, as at 14, thus resiliently holding the part 1 to its lower outside of the line of said support are transversely bent in opposite directions, as clearly indicateddn Figs. 2 and 3. Said shaft is indicated by the numeral 18 and the lateral bends 1920. Suitable means extend from the end of the bends or crank-shafts 19-20 to the articulator, and are preferably connected to the upper member 2 thereof on opposite sides, as shown. It will thusbe seen that as the pulley 16 is rotated, in any desirable or preferred manner, the member 2 of the articulator will be partially pulled transversely, first in one direction and then in the other across the mating part 1, securing a grinding effect in that direction. As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the connection from the cranks 1920 to the articulator, consists of the chains 21, one of which is attached on each side of the pulley,-as shown. It is preferable in a device of this kind that means should be provided to adjust the length of the chains 21, to provide for any variance of the distance caused by the use of differently constructed articulators or plates, there being many on the market at the present time which could be used with my improved device.

As shown in the drawings,the pulley 16 is driven by a belt extending from a reduced pulley 22 carried on the shaft 24, on which the pulley 17 is mounted, a suitable belt, as 25, driving the pulley 17 from'a suitable source of power. The shaft 24- is preferably formed at its ends with transverse bends 2627, which are bent substantially parallel to one another, and extend in thesamc direction. The shafts 18 and 24 are preferably retained in their bearings by plates 28 retaining them in proper position, which may readily be moved to disengage the shafts, when the belts being released the shafts can be transposed, with the pulley 17 placed forward in the position the pulley 16 occupied, while the pulley 16 is moved rearwardly to the position formerly occupied by v indicated, and the chains pulley l7, and the shafts properly maintained in their. bearings. Pulley 16 has in proximity thereto a reduced pulley 23, similar to the reduced pulley 22 on, the and for the same purpose.

moved forward, as 21, or their equivaare attached to the crank ends 26--27 shaft 24,

When the shaft 24 is lents,

of said shaft, the rotation of the pulley will cause a straight pull rearwardly on both sides of the part 2 of the articulator, which, owing to the resilient connections described, will, as it is released. from the ends of the pull, spring forward into normal relation with the coiiperating part. This will provide for the operation which I have referred to, and the teeth, when ground in this manner, as well as when ground laterally, as stated, will be found to be perfectly matched, and to properly cotiperate and co-act in the operation of mastication, when used.

It is obvious that any suitable supports providing bearings for the pulleys may be provided, whether the same be by disconnected standards (not shown) or by a sin gle block on each side, as shown in the drawings. It is also obvious that the supports 6 for the articulator may be of any preferred form of construction to secure the results mentioned. As shown in Fig. 5, the standards 6 are provided with a plurality of bearings 29, in any one of which the parts 7 of the articulator may be located, thus arranging for the partial vertical adjustment of the articulator to secure the most desirable relative position to the actuating devices cooperating therewith. The standard 6 shown to the left of Fig. 4 is preferably hinged, as at 30, whereby when the strap 8 is released, the said standard may-be opened, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, and the articulator readily removed and another replaced therein, as desired.

The connection of the forward ends of the chains 21 with the articulator may be in any preferred manner. Vith the articulators now on the market, and particularly adapted to be employed in my improved device, some suitable form of clamps 31, may be used, which may be clamped directly to a suitable part of the articulator, and have suitable apertures therethrough. or other means for the connection of the forward ends of the chains. A limited adjustability of the clamps on the articulator is thuspossible. As a general rule, however, simple adjustable means may be provided by threading the. chain through a suitable eye 32 in the articulator or clamp, as shown in Fig. 7,"

where a. hook on the end of the chain permits the latter to be shortened or lengthened, as desired, by connecting the hook with different links of the chain.

As shown in Fig. 8, a plurality of said articulators may be suitably supported in standards 33, while a bar 34, or equivalent means, connects with all of them, and at its other end is attached to a wrist pin 35 carried on the pulley 36 mounted upon the shaft 37, a belt 38 driving the shaft, or equivalent means be employed for the same purpose. As thus shown it becomes clear that the articulators may be mounted so that the said grinding movement may be per formed upon a plurality thereof at one time.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, and uses mentioned.

'VVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the kind described, a dental articulator constructed to resiliently maintain the two plates in contact with one another, in combination. with mechanism arranged to alternately pull upon the sides' thereof, means for driving said mechanism, and means for connecting the same with each side of one of the members of the articulator.

2. In a device of the kind described, a dental articulator provided with means for resiliently maintaining the two plates in contact with one another, in combination with mechanism arranged to alternately pull and yield upon a part, means for driving said mechanism, and means for connecting said pulling mechanism with one of the members of the articulator, whereby a direct pull upon. one of the parts is provided, causing the plates to grind one upon the other to produce the protrusive bite.

3. A device of the kind described, comprising a. dental articulator provided with means for resiliently holding the two plates together, in combination with mecl'ianism arranged to alternately pull, first upon. one side and then upon the other, or at will to simu taneously pull directly upon both sides at the same time, and means connecting said mechanism with one of the members of the articulator at will, to produce either a longrh tudinal movement of one member on the other or a lateral movement thereof.

4. In. a device of the kind described, a dental articulator constructed to resiliently maintain the two plates in contact with one another, in combination with mechanism arranged to alternately pull upon the side or one of" the members of: the articulator, ad justablo means for connecting;' said mochanism with one member of the articulator, and means for driving said mechanism.

5. A device of the kind described, comprising a dental articulator, a suitable frame .l'or carrying the standarrils for supporting the articulatm, provided with means for adjustably supporting the articulator at different points of elevation tluu'eon, in com-- biuation with a. rotatable shaft formed with crank shafts at each end thereof, means for rotating said shaft, and means for connecting the crank shafts with one or" the plates of the articulator.

6. A device of the kind described, comprising a dental articulator, and. means for supporting the same, in combination with a. rotatable shaft having its ends formed into oppositely formed crank shafts, means for supporting said shaft and rotating the same, and means for adjustably connecting the ends of the crank shaft-s with one of the plates of the articulator; I

7. A device of the kind described, com.- prising a dental articulator, and means for supporting the, same, in combination with a rotatable shaft, having its ends extended to form crank shafts extending in the same general direction, means for supporting and rotating the shaft, and means for connect ingthe crank shafts with one plate of the articulator. 5

S. A device of the kind described, comprising a dental articulator, and resilient means for maintaining the two in relative positions with one another, standard supports for the articulator, means for regulating the vertical adjustment of the articulator thereon, one of said standards being pivotally connected to the base, whereby it may be opened to release the articulator, a locking member connecting the tops of the two standards, and resilient means for connecting the upper plate of the articulator with said locking means, normally resiliently forcing the upper plate upon the lower, in combination with mechanism. for alternately longitudinally pulling said upper plate upon the lower plate, and then releasing" the same, or for alternately pulling first upon one side of said plate and. then upon the other to produce a lateral movement of the upper plate upon the lower, at will, substantially as described.

9. A device. of the kind described, comprising' a si'iitable base provided with means for supruirting a plurality of dental. articulators, in proxin'iity to one another, the plates of said articulators being resiliently maintained in contact with one another, in combination with IY'JOCllll'llSIl'l. producing! a reciprocal i'novcment, means for driving said mechanism, and means for connecting the same with said articulatm's, whereby one plate of arch of said articulators is relatively moved upon its mating member, sub stantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two sub scribing witnesses.

ROSOOE \V. UPI, 'Vl itnesses Jenn W, lilinn, Cinemas 1. Conn. 

